Letter to the editor: Have your say about Navy flyovers by May 28

There is a last chance for public comment around the Navy’s proposal to overfly the Olympic Peninsula 5,000 times per year with Growlers — some of the loudest planes in the sky today. By May 28 no further input will be accepted and the plan finalized roughly as characterized above.

Sending panes on practice flights from Whidbey over Puget Sound and National Park airspace toward moving electronic targets on U. S. Forest Service Land seems less benign than it had when the plan was formed.

The Orca J-pod is visibly troubled and mechanical noised is recognized as a player. A study is funded and beginning which will study the impact of such decibel assault from above on these endangered mammals. It would seem prudent to cease implementation of the flyovers while awaiting its findings. Of course, since other, less sensitive sites are readily available to the Navy, one of them could be chosen instead. After all, Navy has characterized the use of this particular site as “convenient” but not essential.

It is a dangerous precedent to act as though National Parks’ airspace can be auditorially violated. This is particularly egregious in the Olympic Park, which has been documented as the quietest place in the continental United States and which receives more than three million tourists a year seeking its solace.

Living at the margin of this precious resource, you and I have the most to lose should the May 24 deadline pass and the planes overfly it multiple times nearly every day of the year.

At minimum, please speak your piece on line @ www.NWTTEIS.com prior to the cutoff deadline. If you can, attend the public hearings to further your understanding of both positions.

16 Replies to “Letter to the editor: Have your say about Navy flyovers by May 28”

Frankly I don’t mind the airplanes. 1) reminds me we are being guarded. 2) also the USA is a great country.3) How proud I am of our military personnel. The smartest and brightest.
If I’m too arrogant to disapprove of their “flyovers” maybe they won’t be here to protect me.

Thank you for your information regarding the `deadline’ for responding to concerns about the disruptive noise of the `Growler’ engines. I will express my opinion to the board that will determine the validity of the concerns. This is not about patriotism. It is not about not supporting the military men and women who serve and defend the safety of this country; it is about a plane that deliberately creates noise levels that are disturbing and disruptive. Perhaps when engaged in warfare the decibels of noise create fear, but I am not sure that in a cockpit of a fighter plane with helmet, that it frightens the potential enemy. During `Seafair’ the Blue Angels fly overhead, and while I see the beauty of the planes soaring in the sky and dropping down so very low, I have felt the vibration of that force in a cottage near Lake Washington, and once a year is more than enough. It also is remarkable to me, with all the combat technology of computers and drones, that we need `Growlers’.

It is in no way the “sound of freedom”, but your comment is the sound of a brain poisoned by a lifetime of propaganda. Is freedom having something imposed on your community regardless of its will? The military will not listen to the citizens on this matter. They will do whatever they want, and this comment period is purely for show. This article says as much – after the date listed, no further comments will be taken and the plan will be finalized roughly as characterized above i.e. 5,000 flights a year. Done and done.

Take it from someone currently bombarded by jet noise multiple days a week that shakes our house and drastically cuts into our standard of living. We had a comment period too, and at the end of it, they went with what they wanted to do all along. A 4x increase in the number of flights. This despite meetings drawing hundreds of local residents with only a few people there in favor of the proposal.

There is no reason that in this big country, somewhere can not be found for these flights that is unpopulated and non-disruptive. Japan bought an uninhabited island for U.S. forces stationed there to conduct carrier landing practice, due to the noise involved. Look it up. Perhaps they care more about their people, or perhaps their people are less willing to suffer needlessly and better at protesting.

“Poisoned”? Nice ad hominin attack. These exercises are necessary if the US is going to maintain an edge and advantage over hostile powers. The Growlers are the leading edge in battle and save US lives when brought to bear. BTW, these aircraft operate elsewhere as well.

I agree that this is not about patriotism. This is about protecting wilderness on the Olympic Peninsula or more specifically the Olympic National Park. During my 30-year career with the National Park Service I had the privilege of working on legislation for several parks’ wilderness designation, including Mt. Rainier National Park. The Wilderness Act did not envision this type of intrusion on these areas. While it is undoubtedly important for security purposes, alternatives must be presented to provide for both (Growlers and wilderness) to co-exist.

People are complaining about ANY aircraft around Everett, so I assume they will complain about a Growler. I’m so glad I don’t complain about all. I haven’t noticed them yet.. have they been flying over?

When I bought my little condo on a bluff, the last thing I expected to present a problem was the Navy. Mostly, we are concerned with landslides around here. But we are all dealing with operpopulation of sorts and eventually it will drive us nuts. The Navy also poisoned the wells of homeowners on Whidbey Island; that was in the newspaper recently. Before any snarky remarks are made about appreciating the military which protects us, I am a veteran myself, was in the vicinity of helicopters for nine years, now I am deaf in my right ear.

The link doesn’t seem to go to a working web page. Does anyone have the correct link? I really would like to weigh in on this. I’m a fan of planes, a fan of our military, and if they HAVE to fly this route, then so be it. However, if there are alternatives that won’t inconvenience the military, and would not endanger the whales, our hearing, and the tourism industry that depends on the local wildlife and the serenity of the Olympic National Forest…I mean…why WOULDN’T you opt for that?!?

If you don’t like it do us all a favor and move to Seattle with the rest of your comrades in the hate America crowd. If you had a job during the day you wouldn’t be in a position to sit around and complain now would you.

Yes, I’m a communist, Mike. Only communists want to live normal lives with a normal amount of noise in their homes. Only raging Stalinists like to be able to sell their house at full value, or maybe to even to be able to sell them at all.

Gosh, I’ve got a lot of friends in Seattle, liberals all, who don’t hate America and do have jobs. Nor are they communists, oddly enough. On the other hand, none of them would try to banish someone for voicing a different opinion from theirs; oddly, they all feel that respecting diversity of opinion is one of the requirements for a functioning democracy, and that intolerance one of its greatest enemies.

Right on Mr. Brown. These ideological insults to people one doesn’t agree with accomplish nothing in resolving differences. Personally, I’m trying to get all these ideological dogmas out of my thinking processes, including religious ideology that requires me to think a certain way about everything and anything. I do try to use the Golden Rule as my main guide, but don’t always succeed of course. It’s called being human I guess.
Anyway, I’ve discovered that being a free thinker and trying to see all sides of any issue is difficult to do, but at the same time a very satisfying and enlightening process. It’s an aspect of feeling free or “freedom” I think. Many times it comes down what is the the lesser of two evils, unfortunately.

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